The third season of the

surrealist Surrealism is an art movement, art and cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists aimed to allow the unconscious mind to express itself, often resulting in the depiction of illogical or dreamlike s ...

mystery- horror

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

television series A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming plat ...

Twin Peaks ''Twin Peaks'' is an American Surrealist cinema, surrealist Mystery film, mystery-Horror film, horror Drama (film and television), drama television series created by Mark Frost and David Lynch. It Pilot (Twin Peaks), premiered on American Broad ...

'', billed as ''Twin Peaks: The Return'' and ''Twin Peaks: A Limited Event Series'', premiered on May 21, 2017, and concluded on September 3, 2017. The 18-episode season was broadcast in the United States on Showtime. It marked the ''

'' franchise's return to television after an absence of over 25 years, and continued storylines from the first two seasons (1990–91) and their part-

prequel A prequel is a literary, dramatic or cinematic work whose story precedes that of a previous work, by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative. A prequel is a work that forms part of a backstory to the preceding work. The term ...

, part-

sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music, or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...

theatrical film, '' Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me'' (1992). The show's co-creators

David Lynch David Keith Lynch (January 20, 1946 – January 16, 2025) was an American filmmaker, visual artist, musician, and actor. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Lynch was often called a "visionary" and received acclaim f ...

and

Mark Frost Mark Frost (born November 25, 1953) is an American novelist, screenwriter, film and television producer and director. He is the co-creator of the mystery-horror television series ''Twin Peaks'' (1990–1991, 2017) and was a writer and executiv ...

returned to write the third season, with Lynch directing every episode. Set 25 years after the events of the original ''Twin Peaks'', the season follows multiple storylines, most of which are linked to

FBI agent The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...

Dale Cooper Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Dale Bartholomew Cooper is a fictional character who is the protagonist of the ABC and Showtime television series ''Twin Peaks'', and plays a supporting role in the prequel film '' Twin Peaks: Fire ...

(

Kyle MacLachlan Kyle Merritt MacLachlan ( ; ' McLachlan, February 22, 1959) is an American actor. He is best known for his Emmy-nominated and Golden Globe-winning role as Dale Cooper in ''Twin Peaks'' (1990–1991, 2017) and its film prequel '' Twin Peaks: Fire ...

) and his 1989 investigation into the murder of high school student Laura Palmer ( Sheryl Lee). In addition to the fictional

Washington state Washington, officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is often referred to as Washington State to distinguish it from the national capital, both named after George Washington ...

town of

, the story extends to locations such as

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state, state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Dakota people, Dakota Sioux ...

New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...

, and

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

. The series garnered critical acclaim, with praise for its unconventional

narrative structure Story structure or narrative structure is the recognizable or comprehensible way in which a narrative's different elements are unified, including in a particularly chosen order and sometimes specifically referring to the ordering of the plot: ...

, visual invention, and performances. Critics have hailed the show as the best television show of 2017 and the 2010s, as well as one of the best shows of the 21st century. Some critics also consider ''The Return'' a film, with film journal '' Cahiers du cinéma'' naming it the best film of the decade and the 2022 ''Sight & Sound'' critics' poll voting it the 152nd-best film in history.

Synopsis

The third season picks up from the second season's

cliffhanger ending A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious situation, facing a difficult dilemma or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction or bef ...

, when

(

) was trapped in the Black Lodge and an evil

doppelgänger A doppelgänger ( ), sometimes spelled doppelgaenger or doppelganger, is a ghostly double of a living person, especially one that haunts its own fleshly counterpart. In fiction and mythology, a doppelgänger is often portrayed as a ghostly or p ...

—host to the evil spirit Bob—assumed his identity in the natural world. After escaping the Black Lodge, Cooper struggles to recover his past while fending off the increasingly suspicious

criminal underworld. In

, Cooper's old friends at the FBI investigate a string of crimes perpetrated by the doppelgänger, as well as the mysterious death of a local librarian who studied

paranormal Paranormal events are purported phenomena described in popular culture, folk, and other non-scientific bodies of knowledge, whose existence within these contexts is described as being beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding. Not ...

phenomena. Finally, the residents of Twin Peaks contend with darker forces influencing the town and the generational fallout from the murder of Laura Palmer ( Sheryl Lee).

Production

Background and development

The first season of ''

'' premiered on April 8, 1990, on ABC. It was one of the top-rated series of 1990, although its ratings declined in the second season. In subsequent years, ''Twin Peaks'' has often been listed among the greatest television dramas of all time."25 Best Cult TV Shows from the Past 25 Years." ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...

''. August 3, 2012, p. 40. Aaron Spelling Productions wanted to continue the series for a third season but ABC canceled it because of declining ratings and high production costs. A prequel film, '' Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me'', was released in 1992, but received negative reviews and a poor commercial performance, leading to the cancellation of the other two films in the series. Lynch and Frost tried to develop a spin-off series centered around

Audrey Horne Audrey Horne is a fictional character from the ABC television series ''Twin Peaks'', played by Sherilyn Fenn. The character was created by Mark Frost and David Lynch. She was introduced in the pilot. The daughter of Ben and Sylvia Horne, siste ...

, but the pilot episode evolved into the unrelated theatrical film '' Mulholland Drive''. In 2001, Lynch said that ''Twin Peaks'' was as "dead as a doornail." In 2007, artist Matt Haley began work on a

graphic novel A graphic novel is a self-contained, book-length form of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and Anthology, anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comics sc ...

continuation, which he hoped would be included in the "Complete Mystery" DVD box set. ''Twin Peaks'' producer Robert Engels agreed to help write it on the condition that Lynch and Frost approved the project; Haley said: " ngelsand I had a number of discussions about what the story would be. I was keen to use whatever notes they had for the proposed third season. I really wanted this to be a literal 'third season' of the show." Paramount Home Entertainment agreed to package it with the box set, also on the condition that Lynch and Frost approved. Though Frost approved the project, Lynch vetoed it, saying that he respected the effort but did not want to continue the story of ''Twin Peaks''. In or around 2012, Lynch and Frost met at Musso & Frank Grill in Los Angeles to discuss a potential third season. They did so in part because, in the final episode of season two, Laura tells Cooper that she will see him in 25 years, and "the show’s baked-in time jump was approaching". Lynch's then-wife Emily Stofle recalled that, starting in 2012, the two men began secretly meeting in Lynch's home studio to write the script, which "went on for many years"; as their ideas developed, they shifted to writing the script over

Skype Skype () was a proprietary telecommunications application operated by Skype Technologies, a division of Microsoft, best known for IP-based videotelephony, videoconferencing and voice calls. It also had instant messaging, file transfer, ...

. Lynch and Frost also privately reached out to

in 2012 to make sure he would be interested in the project. Lynch and Frost did not write a traditional script with clear divisions between episodes. Instead, they wrote a 500-page plot document. They completed the "script" in January 2015, and asked Showtime executives to review it over the weekend. They did not pitch the script to any other networks. After the script was complete, Frost left to write a tie-in novel, '' The Secret History of Twin Peaks''.''Room to Dream'', p. 476. Lynch "expanded the story substantially" after Frost's departure.''Room to Dream'', p. 477. Due to the project's secrecy, Frost and Jennifer Lynch both publicly denied rumors that the show would return. On the other hand,

Ray Wise Raymond Herbert Wise (born August 29, 1947) is an American actor best known for his role as Leland Palmer in ''Twin Peaks'' (1990–1991, Twin Peaks (season 3), 2017) and its prequel film ''Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me'' (1992). He has appeared ...

said Lynch told him that a third season was possible and that he might even be able to "work around" the death of Wise's character, Leland Palmer. In September 2014, shortly before the third season was announced, Lynch said that the future of ''Twin Peaks'' was a "tricky question" and that "you just have to wait and see."

Announcement and budget negotiations

On October 6, 2014, Showtime announced that it would air a nine-episode

miniseries In the United States, a miniseries or mini-series is a television show or series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Many miniseries can also be referred to, and shown, as a television film. " Limited series" is ...

written by Lynch and Frost and directed by Lynch. Frost emphasized that the new episodes would be a continuation of the series, not a

remake A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the same s ...

reboot In computing, rebooting is the process by which a running computer system is restarted, either intentionally or unintentionally. Reboots can be either a cold reboot (alternatively known as a hard reboot) in which the power to the system is physi ...

. The episodes were to be set in the present day, and the passage of 25 years would be an important element in the plot. But Showtime's advertising dubbed the third season ''Twin Peaks: The Return'', over Lynch and Frost's objections. Frost also left open the possibility of future seasons. In mid-2015, Lynch and Showtime began locking horns over the show's budget. In a 2018 book co-authored by Lynch,

Kristine McKenna Kristine McKenna is an American journalist, critic and art curator best known for her interviews with artists, writers, thinkers, filmmakers and musicians. Many of these have been collected in ''Book of Changes'' (2001) and ''Talk to Her'' (200 ...

wrote that Showtime (which was budgeting for the show on a per-episode basis) was concerned that Lynch did not like the original nine-episode plan, but would not tell Showtime how many episodes he needed to tell the story. That April, Lynch announced he would not direct the third season due to budget constraints. Days later, a video was released in which several ''Twin Peaks'' cast members, including Sheryl Lee,

Dana Ashbrook Dana Vernon Ashbrook (born May 24, 1967) is an American actor, best known for playing Bobby Briggs on the television series ''Twin Peaks'' (1990–1991, 2017) and its 1992 prequel film '' Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me''. Early life Ashbrook was ...

, and

Sherilyn Fenn Sherilyn Fenn (born Sheryl Ann Fenn; February 1, 1965) is an American actress. She played Audrey Horne on the television series ''Twin Peaks'' (1990–1991, 2017) for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy Award. She als ...

, urged that Lynch be kept on board for the revival. The dispute was resolved in May; Showtime's David Nevins said that he compromised with Lynch by giving him a fixed budget for the entire season with no constraints on the episode count. One week after the announcement, Fenn and Lee announced that there would be 18 episodes, but Nevins maintained that the episode count was "open-ended" and that "we'll have ynchcut he footageinto however many episodes it feels best at". After the show aired, Lynch thanked Nevins for "ma

ing Ing, ING or ing may refer to: Art and media * '' ...ing'', a 2003 Korean film * i.n.g, a Taiwanese girl group * The Ing, a race of dark creatures in the 2004 video game '' Metroid Prime 2: Echoes'' * "Ing", the first song on The Roches' 199 ...

''Twin Peaks: The Return'' happen", saying, "maybe somebody else wouldn't have done that".

Casting

On January 12, 2015, Kyle MacLachlan was confirmed to return to the series. In October 2015, it was confirmed that Michael Ontkean, who portrayed Sheriff

Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. As the 34th vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt that year. Subsequen ...

and had since retired from acting, would not return for the revival, and that the role of town sheriff would be filled by

Robert Forster Robert Wallace Foster Jr. (July 13, 1941 – October 11, 2019), known professionally as Robert Forster, was an American actor. He made his screen debut as Private L.G. Williams in John Huston's '' Reflections in a Golden Eye'' (1967), followed ...

, later confirmed as playing Frank Truman, brother of Harry. Forster had been cast as Harry in the 1990 pilot but was replaced by Ontkean due to scheduling issues. Also in October,

David Duchovny David William Duchovny ( ; born ) is an American actor, writer, and musician. He received his breakthrough with the role of Fox Mulder in The X-Files franchise, earning Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards a ...

teased his return as Agent Denise Bryson. In November 2015, it was reported that

Miguel Ferrer Miguel José Ferrer (February 7, 1955 – January 19, 2017) was an American actor. His breakthrough role was as Bob Morton in the 1987 film ''RoboCop''. Other film roles include Harbinger in '' Hot Shots! Part Deux'' (1993), Quigley in '' Blank ...

would reprise his role as Albert Rosenfield, and that

Richard Beymer George Richard Beymer Jr. (born February 20, 1938) is an American actor, filmmaker and artist who played the roles of Tony in the 1961 film adaptation of ''West Side Story'', Peter van Daan in '' The Diary of Anne Frank'' (1959), and Ben Horn ...

and

David Patrick Kelly David Patrick Kelly (born January 23, 1951) is an American actor, musician and lyricist who has appeared in numerous films and television series. He is best known for his role as the main antagonist Luther in the cult film '' The Warriors'' (1979 ...

would return as Benjamin Horne and Jerry Horne, respectively. In December 2015,

Alicia Witt Alicia Roanne Witt (born August 21, 1975) is an American actress and musician. She first came to fame as a child actress after being discovered by David Lynch, who cast her in ''Dune'' (1984) and ''Twin Peaks'' (1990). Witt was a regular on Cyb ...

confirmed she would reprise her role as Gersten Hayward. Michael J. Anderson was asked to reprise his role as

The Man from Another Place The Man from Another Place (played by Michael J. Anderson), also known as The Arm, is a character from the television series ''Twin Peaks'', created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. He is an inhabitant of the Black and White Lodges, Black Lodge, a ...

, but declined.

Russ Tamblyn Russell Irving Tamblyn (born December 30, 1934), also known as Rusty Tamblyn, is an American film and television actor and dancer. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Tamblyn trained as a gymnast in his youth. He began his career as a child actor ...

underwent open-heart surgery in late 2014, and was still recovering in 2015. Lynch and Frost still hoped Tamblyn would join the cast for the new season, which was later confirmed. On September 28, 2015, Catherine E. Coulson, who reprised her role of the Log Lady in the new season, died of cancer. She filmed her final scene four days before her death. The season's first teaser trailer, released in December 2015, confirmed the involvement of Michael Horse (Tommy "Hawk" Hill). In January 2016, it was reported that

would reprise her role as

in a "major presence". In February 2016, it was reported that Lynch would reprise his role as Gordon Cole. Frequent Lynch collaborator

Laura Dern Laura Elizabeth Dern (born February 10, 1967) is an American actress. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and five Golden Globe Awards. Born ...

was cast in a "top-secret pivotal role", which eventually proved to be Diane, the previously

unseen character An unseen character in theatre, comics, film or television, or a silent character in radio or literature, is a character who is mentioned but not directly known to the audience, but who advances the action of the plot in a significant way, and w ...

to whom Cooper frequently dictated taped messages during the show's original run. In April 2016, a complete cast list was released, featuring 217 actors, with actors returning from the earlier series marked with asterisks. Mary Reber, who plays Alice Tremond in the finale, is the actual owner of the house used for the Palmer residence.

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...

was asked to make a

cameo appearance A cameo appearance, also called a cameo role and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief guest appearance of a well-known person or character in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking on ...

as FBI Agent Phillip Jeffries, his character from '' Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me''. As Bowie's health was declining, his lawyer told Lynch that he was unavailable. Before his death in January 2016, Bowie gave the production permission to reuse old footage featuring him, but he was unhappy with the accent he had used in the film, and requested that he be dubbed over by an authentic

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

actor, leading to the casting of Nathan Frizzell as Jeffries's voice. In January and February 2017, respectively, cast members

and

Warren Frost Warren Frost (June 5, 1925 – February 17, 2017) was an American actor. His work was mainly in theater, but he worked in films and television sporadically from 1958. He is known for television roles on '' Matlock'' and ''Seinfeld'', and p ...

died, but both appear in the new season. This was Ferrer's last live action television role before his death.

Harry Dean Stanton Harry Dean Stanton (July 14, 1926 – September 15, 2017) was an American actor. In a career that spanned more than six decades, Stanton played supporting roles in films including ''Cool Hand Luke'' (1967), '' Kelly's Heroes'' (1970), '' Dilling ...

, who reprised his role as Carl Rodd, died in September 2017, less than two weeks after the last episode of the season aired.

Filming

Principal photography began in September 2015 and took 140 days. Filming was completed by April 2016. The season was shot continuously from a single, long shooting script before being edited into episodes. A 3.2K digital camera, the Arri Amira, was used because it was the smallest camera to shoot in 4K, with 1960 ultra speed lenses from

Panavision Panavision Inc. is an American motion picture equipment company (law), company founded in 1954 specializing in cameras and photographic lens, lenses, based in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, Woodland Hills, California. Formed by Robert Gottschalk a ...

to soften some of the digital image's sharpness. In July 2015, Frost suggested that the season would premiere in 2017 rather than 2016, as originally planned. In January 2016, Nevins confirmed that the season would premiere in the first half of 2017.

Music

The season's

score SCORE may refer to: *SCORE (software), a music scorewriter program * SCORE (television), a weekend sports service of the defunct Financial News Network *SCORE! Educational Centers *SCORE International, an offroad racing organization *Sarawak Corrido ...

contains new and reused compositions by

Angelo Badalamenti Angelo Daniel Badalamenti (March 22, 1937 – December 11, 2022) was an American composer and arranger best known for his film music, notably the scores for his collaborations with director David Lynch, '' Blue Velvet'' (1986), ''Twin Peaks'' (1 ...

, dark

ambient music Ambient music is a genre of music that emphasizes Musical tone, tone and atmosphere over traditional Musical form, musical structure or rhythm. Often "peaceful" sounding and lacking Musical composition, composition, beat, and/or structured melod ...

and

sound design Sound design is the art and practice of creating auditory elements of media. It involves specifying, acquiring and creating audio using production techniques and equipment or software. It is employed in a variety of disciplines including filmmaking ...

by Dean Hurley and David Lynch (including some from '' The Air Is on Fire''), and unreleased music from Lynch and Badalamenti's 1990s project '' Thought Gang'', two of which previously appeared in ''Fire Walk with Me''. Hurley's contributions were released on the album '' Anthology Resource Vol. 1: △△'' on August 6, 2017, by

Sacred Bones Records Sacred Bones Records is an American independent record label founded in 2007 and based in Brooklyn, New York. The label has released recordings from artists including Zola Jesus, David Lynch, John Carpenter, Spellling, Blanck Mass, Crystal S ...

. Several tracks from Johnny Jewel's album ''Windswept'' also appear throughout. '' Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima'' by

Krzysztof Penderecki Krzysztof Eugeniusz Penderecki (; 23 November 1933 – 29 March 2020) was a Polish composer and conductor. His best-known works include '' Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima'', Symphony No. 3, his '' St Luke Passion'', '' Polish Requiem'', '' ...

appears in key scenes. Angelo Badalamenti's score was released on September 8, 2017, by

Rhino Records A rhinoceros ( ; ; ; : rhinoceros or rhinoceroses), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant taxon, extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates (perissodactyls) in the family (biology), famil ...

as '' Twin Peaks: Limited Event Series Original Soundtrack''. Additionally, multiple episodes contain musical performances at the Roadhouse. Lynch hand-picked several of the bands and musicians, including

Nine Inch Nails Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN (stylized as NIИ), is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1988. Its members are the singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Trent Reznor and his frequent col ...

Sharon Van Etten Sharon Katharine Van Etten (born February 26, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress. Originally from New Jersey, and currently based in Los Angeles, Van Etten's music is noted for its indie rock aesthetic and personal lyric ...

, Chromatics and

Eddie Vedder Eddie Jerome Vedder (born Edward Louis Severson III; December 23, 1964) is an American singer, musician, and songwriter. He is the lead vocalist, primary lyricist, and one of three guitarists for the rock band Pearl Jam. He was previously a gues ...

. The final musical performance at the Roadhouse was by

Julee Cruise Julee Ann Cruise (December 1, 1956 – June 9, 2022) was an American singer and actress, known for her collaborations with composer Angelo Badalamenti and film director David Lynch in the late 1980s and early 1990s. She released four albums beg ...

, who sang the original series's theme. '' Twin Peaks: Music from the Limited Event Series'', an album containing many of these performances, along with other songs heard on the season, was released by

on September 8, 2017. Other music, mostly played diegetically includes: *"American Woman" (David Lynch Remix) by Muddy Magnolias *"

Take Five "Take Five" is a jazz standard composed by Paul Desmond in 5 beat per measure, the melody relying on the blues scale, with harmony E-flat minor. It was first recorded in 1959 and is the third track on ''Time Out'' by the Dave Brubeck Quartet. ...

" by

Dave Brubeck David Warren Brubeck (; December 6, 1920 – December 5, 2012) was an American jazz pianist and composer. Often regarded as a foremost exponent of cool jazz, Brubeck's work is characterized by unusual time signatures and superimposing contrasti ...

I Love How You Love Me "I Love How You Love Me" is a song written by Barry Mann and Larry Kolber. It was a 1961 Top Five hit for the pop girl group The Paris Sisters, which inaugurated a string of elaborately produced classic hits by Phil Spector. Bobby Vinton had ...

" by The Paris Sisters *"I Am (Old School Hip Hop Beat)" by Blunted Beatz *"Habit" and "Tabloid" by

Uniform A uniform is a variety of costume worn by members of an organization while usually participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are most often worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency serv ...

Sleep Walk "Sleep Walk" is an instrumental song written, recorded, and released in 1959 by American instrumental rock and roll duo Santo & Johnny Farina, with their uncle Mike Dee playing the drums. Prominently featuring steel guitar, the song was record ...

" by

Santo & Johnny Santo & Johnny were an American rock and roll instrumental duo of Italian descent from Brooklyn, New York, composed of brothers Santo Farina (born October 24, 1937) and Johnny Farina (born April 30, 1941). They are known best for their instrum ...

Green Onions "Green Onions" is an instrumental composition recorded in 1962 by Booker T. & the M.G.'s. One of the most popular soul songs ever, and R&B instrumentals of its era, it utilizes a twelve-bar blues progression and features a rippling Hammond M3 ...

" by Booker T. & the M.G.'s *"

My Prayer "My Prayer" is a 1939 popular song with music by salon violinist Georges Boulanger and lyrics by Carlos Gomez Barrera and Jimmy Kennedy. It was originally written by Boulanger with the title ''Avant de mourir'' (Before dying) in 1926. Kennedy ad ...

" by

The Platters The Platters are an American vocal group formed in 1952. They are one of the most successful vocal groups of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound bridges the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the new burgeoning genre. The act ...

*"Charmaine" by

Mantovani Annunzio Paolo Mantovani (; 15 November 1905 – 30 March 1980) was an Italian British conductor, composer and light orchestra-styled entertainer with a cascading strings musical signature. The book '' British Hit Singles & Albums'' ...

Viva Las Vegas ''Viva Las Vegas'' is a 1964 American rock and roll musical film directed by George Sidney, written by Sally Benson, choreographed by David Winters, and starring Elvis Presley, Ann-Margret, Cesare Danova, William Demarest and Nicky Blair ...

" by

Shawn Colvin Shawn Colvin (born Shawna Lee Colvin, January 10, 1956) is an American singer-songwriter. She is best known for her 1997 Grammy Award-winning song "Sunny Came Home". Early life Colvin was born Shawna Lee Colvin in Vermillion, South Dakota, and ...

*" I've Been Loving You Too Long" (

Live Live may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film * ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film * ''Live'' (2023 film), a Malayalam-language film *'' Live: Phát Trực Tiếp'', a Vietnamese-langua ...

) by

Otis Redding Otis Ray Redding Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an American singer and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and a seminal artist in soul music and rhythm and blues. ...

*" Sharp Dressed Man" by

ZZ Top ZZ Top is an American rock band formed in Houston, Texas, in 1969. For almost 56 years, it consisted of vocalist-guitarist Billy Gibbons, drummer Frank Beard (musician), Frank Beard, and bassist-vocalist Dusty Hill prior to his death in 2021. ZZ ...

*"Windswept", "Slow Dreams", "The Flame" by Johnny Jewel

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

's '' Moonlight Sonata'' and " Last Call" by

are played slowed down significantly.

Cast

as Special Agent

and his various

s and alter egos, most prominently the doppelgänger created in the final episode of the second season (known in commentary as "Mr. C") and Dougie Jones

Twin Peaks

*Jay Aaseng as Drunk *

Mädchen Amick Mädchen Amick ( ; born December 12, 1970) is an American actress and television director. She is known for her starring role as Shelly Johnson on the television series ''Twin Peaks'' (1990–1991), its prequel film '' Twin Peaks: Fire Walk wi ...

as Shelly Briggs *

as Deputy Sheriff

Bobby Briggs Bobby Briggs is a fictional main character in the television series ''Twin Peaks'' (1990–1991; 2017), created by Mark Frost and David Lynch. He appears in both seasons of the show, the 2017 '' revival series'', as well as the prequel feature-len ...

* Phoebe Augustine as Ronette Pulaski *

as Benjamin Horne *

Gia Carides Gia Carides (; born 7 June 1964) is an Australian actress. She portrayed Liz Holt in ''Strictly Ballroom'' (1992), Susy Connor in '' Brilliant Lies'' (1996), and Cousin Nikki in the ''My Big Fat Greek Wedding'' franchise (2002–2023). Early ...

as Hannah * Vincent Castellanos as Federico *

Michael Cera Michael Austin Cera ( ; ; born June 7, 1988) is a Canadian actor. Over his career he has received nominations for a British Academy Film Award, three Critics' Choice Movie Awards, four Screen Actors Guild Awards, and a Tony Award. Cera beca ...

as Wally "Brando" Brennan *

Joan Chen Joan Chen (simplified Chinese; 陈冲; born April 26, 1961) is an American actress and film director. She made her film debut in the Chinese film ''Youth'' (1977) before starring in the film (1979). She came to the attention of American audien ...

as Josie Packard * Candy Clark as Doris Truman * Scott Coffey as Trick * Catherine E. Coulson as Margaret Lanterman / "The Log Lady" * Grace Victoria Cox as Charlotte *

Jan D'Arcy Jan Therese D'Arcy is an American television and film actress born on June 18, 1939, in Oneida, New York, with a career spanning almost five decades. She is best known for playing List of Twin Peaks characters#Sylvia Horne, Sylvia Horne in ''Twin P ...

as Sylvia Horne * Eric Da Re as Leo Johnson * Ana de la Reguera as Natalie *

Hugh Dillon Hugh Dillon (born May 31, 1963) is a Canadian singer, actor, and television producer. The lead vocalist of the rock bands Headstones and Hugh Dillon Redemption Choir, his acting roles include Albert Manning in '' Degrassi: The Next Generation'' ...

as Tom Paige * Eamon Farren as Richard Horne *

Sky Ferreira Sky Tonia Ferreira (; born July 8, 1992) is an American singer-songwriter, model, and actress. As a teenager, Ferreira began uploading videos on Myspace of herself singing songs she had written, which led to her discovery by producers Bloodsh ...

as Ella *

as Sheriff Frank Truman *

as Cyril Pons *

as Dr. Will Hayward *

Balthazar Getty Paul Balthazar Getty (; born January 22, 1975) is an American actor and musician, and a member of the Getty family. His acting debut was in ''Lord of the Flies'' (1990) as Ralph. He went on to appear in '' Lost Highway'' (1997) and had a recurrin ...

as Red * Harry Goaz as Deputy Sheriff Andy Brennan *

Grant Goodeve Grant Goodeve (born July 6, 1952) is an American actor and television host. He is best known for his role as David Bradford, the eldest son on ABC television's ''Eight Is Enough'' from 1977 to 1981; he sang the theme song for the show, as well. ...

as Walter Lawford * Andrea Hays as Heidi * Gary Hershberger as Mike Nelson * Michael Horse as Deputy Chief Tommy "Hawk" Hill *

Caleb Landry Jones Caleb Landry Jones (born December 7, 1989) is an American actor and musician, known for his roles as Banshee in '' X-Men: First Class'', Jeremy Armitage in ''Get Out'', and Red Welby in ''Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri''. His accolades ...

as Steven Burnett *

Ashley Judd Ashley Tyler Ciminella, known professionally as Ashley Judd (born April 19, 1968), is an American actress and activist. She grew up in a family of performing artists, the daughter of country music singer Naomi Judd and the half-sister of country ...

as Beverly Paige *

as Jerry Horne *

Piper Laurie Piper Laurie (born Rosetta Jacobs; January 22, 1932 – October 14, 2023) was an American actress. She is known for her roles in the films '' The Hustler'' (1961), '' Carrie'' (1976), and '' Children of a Lesser God'' (1986), and the miniseries ...

as Catherine Martell * Jane Levy as Elizabeth *

Peggy Lipton Margaret Ann Lipton (August 30, 1946 – May 11, 2019) was an American model, actress, and singer. She made appearances in many of the most popular television shows of the 1960s before she landed her defining role as flower child Julie Barnes i ...

Norma Jennings The following is an incomplete list of characters from the television series ''Twin Peaks'', the film ''Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me'', and the Twin Peaks (season 3), 2017 revival. Overview Supernatural/Otherworldly Bob Frank Silva ...

*Sarah Jean Long as Miriam Sullivan *Riley Lynch as Bing * James Marshall as

James Hurley James Hurley may refer to: * James Hurley (Twin Peaks), a fictional character from the television show ''Twin Peaks'' * James Francis Hurley (born 1962), English murderer * James R. Hurley (born 1932), Southern New Jersey politician and gambling ...

Everett McGill Charles Everett McGill III (born on October 21, 1945) is an American retired actor, who rose to prominence for his portrayal of a caveman in '' Quest for Fire'' (1981). He went on to have prominent roles in the films ''Dune'' (1984), ''Silver ...

Ed Hurley Edwin Henry Hurley (September 20, 1908 – November 12, 1969) was a professional baseball umpire who worked in the American League (AL) from 1947 to 1965. Early career Hurley was a prominent baseball umpire and basketball referee in the Wester ...

* Clark Middleton as Charlie *

Jack Nance Marvin John Nance (December 21, 1943 – December 30, 1996) was an American actor. A longtime collaborator of filmmaker David Lynch, Nance portrayed the lead in Lynch's directorial debut '' Eraserhead'' (1977). He continued to work with Lynch th ...

as Pete Martell * Walter Olkewicz as Jacques Renault and Jean-Michel Renault *John Pirruccello as Deputy Sheriff Chad Broxford *Mary Reber as Alice Tremond *

Kimmy Robertson Kimmy Robertson (born November 27, 1954) is an American actress best known for her role as Lucy Moran in the television series ''Twin Peaks'' and Rose in the film '' The Last American Virgin''. Career Robertson's high-pitched voice has led to ...

as Lucy Brennan *

Wendy Robie Wendy Robie (born October 6, 1953) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Nadine Hurley in David Lynch's television series ''Twin Peaks'' (1990–1991) and the prequel film '' Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me'' (1992). She also s ...

as Nadine Hurley * Erik Rondell as Johnny Horne *Marvin "Marv" Rosand as Toad * Rod Rowland as Chuck * Amanda Seyfried as Rebecca 'Becky' Burnett *

as Carl Rodd *JR Starr as MC * Charlotte Stewart as Betty Briggs *

Jessica Szohr Jessica Szohr (; born March 31, 1985) is an American actress. She started her screen career appearing on television shows such as '' My Wife and Kids'' (2003), ''Joan of Arcadia'' (2004), '' What About Brian'' (2007) and '' CSI: Miami'' (2007). S ...

as Renee *

as Dr. Lawrence Jacoby * Jodi Thelen as Maggie *

Lauren Tewes Cynthia Lauren Tewes (,Larding, Bob (June 4, 1978)"'Loveboat's' Loveable Lauren" ''New York Daily News''. Leisure, p. 10. p. 77. Retrieved January 6, 2024. "'No, I never thought of changing it,' she says. 'Once people hear it, they ne ...

as Gersten's neighbor *Jake Wardle as Freddie Sykes *

as Gersten Hayward * Karolina Wydra as Chloe * Charlyne Yi as Ruby * Grace Zabriskie as Sarah Palmer

Government

* Chrysta Bell as Special Agent Tammy Preston *

Richard Chamberlain George Richard Chamberlain (March 31, 1934 – March 29, 2025) was an American actor and singer who became a teen idol in the title role of the television show '' Dr. Kildare'' (1961–1966). He subsequently earned the title "King of the Mini- ...

as Bill Kennedy *

as Diane Evans *

as FBI Chief of Staff Denise Bryson * Jay R. Ferguson as Special Agent Randall Headley *

as Special Agent Albert Rosenfield *

Ernie Hudson Earnest Lee Hudson (born December 17, 1945) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Winston Zeddemore in the ''Ghostbusters'' franchise. Hudson has also acted in the films ''Leviathan'' (1989), '' The Hand That Rocks the Cradle'' (19 ...

as Colonel Davis *

as FBI Deputy Director Gordon Cole *Adele René as Lieutenant Cynthia Knox *Owain Rhys-Davies as Agent Wilson

Las Vegas

* Alon Aboutboul as Head Mover *

Joe Adler Joe Adler is an American actor. He is best known for playing the role of Zart in ''The Maze Runner'' and Jason Wylie in ''The Mentalist ''The Mentalist'' is an American procedural drama television series that ran from September 23, 2008, unt ...

as Roger * Stephanie Allynne as Soccer Mom *Tammie Baird as Lorraine *

Jim Belushi James Adam Belushi (; born June 15, 1954) is an American actor and comedian. His television roles include ''Saturday Night Live'' (1983–1985), ''According to Jim'' (2001–2009), and '' Good Girls Revolt'' (2015–2016). Belushi appeared in fi ...

as Bradley Mitchum *

John Billingsley John Billingsley (, born May 20, 1960) is an American actor best known for his role as Doctor Phlox on the television series '' Star Trek: Enterprise''. Early life and education Billingsley was born in Media, Pennsylvania, and subsequently liv ...

as Doctor Ben *

Ronnie Gene Blevins Ronnie Gene Blevins (born June 20, 1977) is an American character actor. He is best known for his role as small-time criminal Willie Russell in the 2013 film '' Joe'', directed by David Gordon Green. Career His TV credits include '' NCIS'', '' ...

as Tommy *

Wes Brown Wesley Michael Brown (born 13 October 1979) is an English former professional footballer who played as a centre back or right back. He spent the majority of his career at Manchester United, where he won 13 trophies including five Premier Leagu ...

as Darren *Juan Carlos Cantu as Officer Reynaldo *Larry Clarke as Detective T. Fusco * Jonny Coyne as Polish Accountant *Giselle Damier as Sandie * David Dastmalchian as Pit Boss Warrick *

Jeremy Davies Jeremy Boring (born October 28, 1969), known professionally as Jeremy Davies, is an American actor. He is known for playing Ray Aibelli in '' Spanking the Monkey'' (1994), Corporal Timothy Upham in ''Saving Private Ryan'' (1998), Private Toffl ...

as Jimmy *

Eric Edelstein Eric Edelstein is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for playing the role of Bobby Mallison in '' Shameless'', Chad in '' Clarence'', B.O.B. in the ''Monsters vs. Aliens'' television adaptation, and Grizzly "Grizz" in '' We Bare Bear ...

as Detective "Smiley" Fusco * John Ennis as Slot Machine Man * Josh Fadem as Phil Bisby * Rebecca Field as Another Mom *

Patrick Fischler Patrick Fischler (born December 29, 1969) is an American character actor known for his roles as Jimmy Barrett on the drama series '' Mad Men'', Dharma Initiative worker Phil on the drama series '' Lost'', and Detective Kenny No-Gun on the poli ...

as Duncan Todd *

Meg Foster Margaret "Meg" Foster (born May 10, 1948) is an American film and television actress. Some of her many roles were in the 1979 TV miniseries version of '' The Scarlet Letter'', and the films '' Ticket to Heaven'', ''The Osterman Weekend'' and '' ...

as Cashier * Pierce Gagnon as Sonny Jim Jones * Hailey Gates as Drugged-out Mother *

Brett Gelman Brett Gelman (born October 6, 1976) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his role as Murray Bauman in Netflix's horror-supernatural series ''Stranger Things'' and as Martin in the BBC comedy '' Fleabag''. Gelman began his care ...

as Supervisor Burns * Ivy George as 5-Year-Old Girl *

Robert Knepper Robert Lyle Knepper (born July 8, 1959) is an American actor best known for his role as Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell in the Fox drama series ''Prison Break'' (2005–2009, 2017), Samuel Sullivan in the final season of the NBC series '' Heroes'' ...

as Rodney Mitchum * David Koechner as Detective D. Fusco * Virginia Kull as Syzmon Waitress * Jay Larson as Limo Driver *Andrea Leal as Mandie * Bellina Logan as Female Doctor * Josh McDermitt as Wise Guy * Don Murray as Bushnell Mullins *

Sara Paxton Sara Paxton (born April 25, 1988) is an American actress and singer. She began acting at an early age, appearing in minor roles in both films and television shows before rising to fame in early October 2002. She played Sarah Tobin from '' Greet ...

as Candy Shaker * Linda Porter as Lady Slot-Addict * Elena Satine as Rhonda * John Savage as Detective Clark * Amy Shiels as Candie *

Tom Sizemore Thomas Edward Sizemore Jr. (; November 29, 1961 – March 3, 2023) was an American actor. Born in Detroit, he started his career with supporting appearances in '' Born on the Fourth of July'' (1989), '' Lock Up'' (1989), and '' Blue Steel'' (19 ...

as Anthony Sinclair * Bob Stephenson as Frank *

Ethan Suplee Ethan L. Suplee (; born May 25, 1976) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in the films ''American History X'', '' Blow'', ''Remember the Titans'', ''John Q'', '' The Wolf of Wall Street'', '' Cold Mountain'', '' Without a Paddle ...

as Bill Shaker * Sabrina S. Sutherland as Floor Attendant Jackie *

Naomi Watts Naomi Ellen Watts (born 28 September 1968) is a British actress. Known for her work predominantly in independent films with dark or tragic themes, she has received various accolades, including nominations for two Academy Awards, a Primetime ...

as Janey-E Jones * Nafessa Williams as Jade *Christophe Zajac-Denek as Ike "The Spike" Stadtler

South Dakota

* Jane Adams as Constance Talbot * Brent Briscoe as Detective Dave Macklay * Bailey Chase as Detective Don Harrison *

Neil Dickson Neil Dickson (born 26 November 1950) is an English actor, who has worked extensively in both American and British film and television. Biography At the age of five, Dickson contracted polio, but made a complete recovery a year later. He attend ...

as George Bautzer *George Griffith as Ray Monroe * Cornelia Guest as Phyllis Hastings * Nicole LaLiberte as Darya *

Jennifer Jason Leigh Jennifer Jason Leigh (born Jennifer Leigh Morrow; February 5, 1962) is an American actress. She began her career on television during the 1970s before making her film breakthrough in the teen film ''Fast Times at Ridgemont High'' (1982). She re ...

as Chantal Hutchens *

Matthew Lillard Matthew Lyn Lillard (born January 24, 1970) is an American actor. His film work includes Chip Sutphin in '' Serial Mom'' (1994), Emmanuel "Cereal Killer" Goldstein in '' Hackers'' (1995), Stu Macher in '' Scream'' (1996), Stevo in '' SLC Punk!'' ...

as William Hastings *Karl Makinen as Inspector Randy Hollister *

Bérénice Marlohe Bérénice Lim Marlohe (born 19 May 1979) is a French actress. She played anti-heroine Bond girl Sévérine in the twenty-third ''James Bond'' film ''Skyfall''. Her television credits include ''Père et Maire'', ''Femmes de loi'', and ''Equi ...

as French Woman * James Morrison as Warden Dwight Murphy * Christopher Murray as Officer Olson * Max Perlich as Hank *

Tim Roth Timothy Simon Roth (; born 14 May 1961) is an English actor. He was among a group of prominent British actors known as the " Brit Pack". After garnering attention in television productions '' Made in Britain'' (1982) and '' Meantime'' (1983), ...

as Gary "Hutch" Hutchens *Mary Stofle as Ruth Davenport

Supernatural

* Phoebe Augustine as American Girl *

Monica Bellucci Monica Anna Maria Bellucci (; born 30 September 1964) is an Italian actress and model who began her career as a fashion model before working in Italian, American, and French films. She has an eclectic filmography in a range of genres and langua ...

as herself *

as Phillip Jeffries **Nathan Frizzell as the voice of Phillip Jeffries * Robert Broski as Woodsman * Don S. Davis as Major Garland Briggs *Erica Eynon as Experiment * Sheryl Lee as Laura Palmer * Joy Nash as Señorita Dido *Carlton Lee Russell as the Jumping Man * Frank Silva as Killer BOB *Malachy Sreenan as Bosomy Lady * Al Strobel as Phillip Michael Gerard / MIKE *

Carel Struycken Carel Struycken (; born 30 July 1948) is a Dutch actor. He is known for playing the Giant/Fireman in the television series ''Twin Peaks'' (1990–1991, 2017), the occasional guest role of Mr. Homn in '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (1987– ...

as The Fireman *

as Leland Palmer * Nae Yuuki as Naido Michael J. Anderson did not reprise his role as

, who instead appears as a treelike computer-generated effect, and is voiced by an uncredited actor. When asked who provided the voice for the CGI character, executive producer Sabrina Sutherland replied: "Unfortunately, I think this question should remain a mystery and not be answered."

Other

New York

Michael Bisping Michael Gavin Joseph Bisping (; born 28 February 1979) is an English former mixed martial artist, sports commentator, analyst, and actor. He competed in the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship ( ...

as Guard * Benjamin Rosenfield as Sam Colby *

Madeline Zima Madeline Rose Zima (born September 16, 1985) is an American actress. She portrayed Grace Sheffield on the CBS sitcom ''The Nanny'' (1993–1999), Mia Lewis on the Showtime comedy drama series '' Californication'' (2007–2011), and Gretchen B ...

as Tracey Barberato

New Mexico, 1956

*Leslie Berger as New Mexico Wife * Cullen Douglas as Disc Jockey *Tikaeni Faircrest as Girl *Tad Griffith as New Mexico Husband * Xolo Maridueña as Boy *Tracy Philips as Receptionist

Montana

Frank Collison Frank Collison (born February 14, 1950) is an American actor known to television audiences as the hapless telegrapher Horace Bing in the series '' Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman'' and Grandpa Goodman in '' Mr. Pickles''. Early life Collison was bor ...

as Muddy *

Derek Mears Derek Mears (born April 29, 1972) is an American actor and stuntman. Often appearing in horror and science-fiction titles, he came to prominence for portraying Jason Voorhees in the 2009 reboot of '' Friday the 13th''. His film roles also includ ...

as Renzo

Odessa

*Matt Battaglia as Cowboy 3 * Francesca Eastwood as Texas Waitress Kristi *Heath Hensley as Cowboy 1 *Rob Mars as Cowboy 2 * Sheryl Lee as Carrie Page

Episodes

Release

The season premiered on Showtime on May 21, 2017, with a two-hour episode. After the airing, the premiere and an additional two episodes became available online, and the season aired in weekly increments from that point onwards (at Lynch's insistence). Overall, the series consists of 18 episodes. It concluded on September 3, 2017, with a two-part finale. In the United Kingdom,

Sky Atlantic Sky Atlantic is a British pay television channel owned by Sky Group, Sky Group Limited that launched in 2011 and broadcasts in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The channel airs original British-produced dramas like ''Fortitude (TV series), F ...

simulcast Simulcast (a portmanteau of "simultaneous broadcast") is the broadcasting of programs or events across more than one resolution, bitrate or medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at exactly the same time (that is, simultaneously) ...

the first two episodes beginning at 2:00 am

British Summer Time During British Summer Time (BST), civil time in the United Kingdom is advanced one hour forward of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), in effect changing the time zone from UTC+00:00 to UTC+01:00, so that mornings have one hour less daylight, and eve ...

on May 22, 2017, and the next two episodes were released on

Sky UK Sky UK Limited (formerly British Sky Broadcasting Limited (BSkyB)), Trade name, trading as Sky, is a British broadcasting, broadcaster and telecommunications company that provides television, broadband internet, fixed line and mobile telephone ...

's on-demand service after the premiere. In the

Nordic countries The Nordic countries (also known as the Nordics or ''Norden''; ) are a geographical and cultural region in Northern Europe, as well as the Arctic Ocean, Arctic and Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic oceans. It includes the sovereign states of Denm ...

, the season is broadcast on HBO Nordic, with the two-hour premiere airing on May 22, and subsequent episodes being made available the day after its U.S. airing. In Canada, the season is available on

CraveTV Crave (originally CraveTV) is a Canadian subscription video on demand service owned by Bell Media. The service competes directly with other subscription-based over-the-top streaming services operating in Canada, primarily against American-bas ...

and

The Movie Network Crave (formerly The Movie Network or TMN) is a Television in Canada, Canadian premium television network and Streaming service provider, streaming service owned by the Bell Media subsidiary of BCE Inc. Launched in 1983 as the national service ...

, and debuted simultaneously with the U.S. broadcast. In Australia, episodes of the season are available to stream on Stan (company), Stan the same day as the original U.S. broadcast. In Japan, the season aired on the satellite television network Wowow, which also aired the original series. Two episodes were screened at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. The season was screened in its entirety from January 5–7, 2018, at the Museum of Modern Art, as part of the museum's annual series on "the year's finest films".

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has a 94% approval rating, with an average score of 7.8/10 and based on 460 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads: "Surreal, suspenseful, and visually stunning, this new ''Twin Peaks'' is an auteurist triumph for David Lynch." Sean T. Collins of ''Rolling Stone'' called the season "one of the most groundbreaking TV series ever", praising its original, complex storylines and the performances of its cast, particularly Kyle MacLachlan. Matt Zoller Seitz of ''New York (magazine)#Digital, Vulture'' wrote that the show was "the most original and disturbing to hit TV drama since ''The Sopranos''". In his season review for ''IGN'', Matt Fowler noted that ''Twin Peaks'' "came back as a true artistic force that challenged just about every storytelling convention we know" and scored it an 8.8 out of ten. Of the season's two-part premiere, Sonia Saraiya of ''Variety (magazine), Variety'' wrote: "''Twin Peaks: The Return'' is weird and creepy and slow. But it is interesting. The show is very stubbornly itself—not quite film and not quite TV, rejecting both standard storytelling and standard forms. It's not especially fun to watch and it can be quite disturbing. But there is never a sense that you are watching something devoid of vision or intention. Lynch's vision is so total and absolute that he can get away with what wouldn't be otherwise acceptable." ''The Hollywood Reporter''s Daniel Fienberg wrote of the season's format: In her "A" grade review of the premiere, Emily L. Stephens of ''The A.V. Club'' wrote of its possible reception by critics and viewers: Lynch screened the two-hour premiere of the season at the 2017 2017 Cannes Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival, and received a five-minute standing ovation from the crowd. Film journals ''Sight & Sound'' and '' Cahiers du cinéma'' respectively deemed the season the second-best and the best "film" of the year, with the former placing it behind the psychological horror film ''Get Out''. Writing for ''Vox (website), Vox'', Emily St. James referenced the season in discussing the artistic difference, if any, between theatrical film and TV series in the streaming era. Metacritic ranked ''Twin Peaks'' the second-best TV series of 2017; 20 major publications ranked it the best show of the year. In 2019, ''Twin Peaks'' was ranked 22nd on ''The Guardian''s list of the 100 best TV shows of the 21st century. Writer-director Jim Jarmusch called the season "a masterpiece" and the single best piece of Cinema of the United States, American cinema of the preceding ten years.

2017 critics' top ten lists

The series has appeared on the following lists: *No. 1 ''Rolling Stone'' *No. 1 Matt Zoller Seitz of ''New York (magazine), Vulture'' *No. 1 ''Collider (website), Collider'' *No. 1 ''Esquire (magazine), Esquire'' *No. 1 ''The Washington Post'' *No. 1 ''The Playlist'' *No. 1 ''Thrillist'' *No. 2 ''The A.V. Club'' *No. 2 ''

'' *No. 2 ''Now (newspaper), Now'' *No. 2 ''The Ringer (website), The Ringer'' *No. 3 ''IndieWire'' *No. 3 ''Slant Magazine, Slant'' *No. 4 ''Variety (magazine), Variety'' *No. 5 ''Paste (magazine), Paste'' *No. 6 ''Uproxx'' *No. 10 ''Adweek'' * - ''The Atlantic'' * - ''NPR'' * - ''Los Angeles Times'' * - ''The New York Times'' * - ''Vogue (magazine), Vogue''

Ratings

The two-hour premiere on May 21, 2017, received 506,000 viewers on Showtime, which ''Deadline Hollywood'' called "soft for such a strongly promoted prestige project". Ratings increased to 626,000 after the encore broadcasts that night and the premiere also had over 450,000 viewers via streaming and on-demand. Viewership for the premiere increased to 804,000 in Live+3 ratings, and it had a viewership of 1.7 million across streaming and on-demand platforms. Showtime announced that the weekend of the ''Twin Peaks'' premiere had the most signups to their streaming service ever. Prior to the finale, the season was averaging two million weekly viewers, when including time-shifting, encores and streaming. Showtime president David Nevins said that ''Twin Peaks'' "has exceeded expectations" from a financial perspective.

Awards and nominations

Analysis

Franck Boulègue's ''The Return of Twin Peaks: Squaring the Circle'' comprehensively analyzes ''Twin Peaks: The Return'', exploring its narrative complexity, cultural impact, and philosophical underpinnings. Boulègue frames the series as a unique hybrid of television and cinema, characterized by its nonlinear storytelling and engagement with themes of time, memory, and the uncanny. The book examines the show's departure from traditional formats and its reflection on the medium's evolution, positioning ''The Return'' as a bold artistic experiment that challenges viewer expectations. Kristina Šekrst examines ''Twin Peaks: The Return'' through the lens of binge-watching and media psychology. Šekrst highlights how Lynch's work challenges the boundaries between film and television, calling the third season an "18-hour movie" that defies traditional episodic structures. She connects the immersive narrative to recent neurological and psychological findings, exploring how seriality affects attention spans and viewer engagement. Dominique Chateau investigates the series' unique storytelling techniques. Chateau emphasizes Lynch's "filmic ideas", in which narrative structure intertwines with dream logic to create a layered, surreal experience. Using concepts from narratology and possible worlds theory, Chateau discusses how ''The Return'' blurs the line between reality and imagination, pushing the boundaries of serial storytelling and traditional cinematic aesthetics. Dominic Lash examines the series' pervasive theme of doubling. Lash argues that ''The Return'' acts as a "double" itself, layering fans' expectations of a revival onto the show's narrative while simultaneously subverting them. Through extensive use of doubles, from characters like Dougie Jones to Laura Palmer's parallel lives, the series blends nostalgia and defamiliarization. Lash concludes that ''The Return'' achieves a paradoxical fidelity to its original by taking bold creative liberties with its legacy.

Home media

The season was released on Blu-ray and DVD on December 5, 2017, under the title ''Twin Peaks: A Limited Event Series''. The set includes more than six hours of behind-the-scenes content. In the 2017 Home Media Awards, which honor the year's best home video releases, ''Twin Peaks: A Limited Event Series'' won four awards: Title of the Year, TV on Disc of the Year, Best TV Movie or Miniseries, and Best Extras/Bonus Material.

Future

Lynch and Frost expressed interest in making another season of ''Twin Peaks'', but Lynch said that such a project would not be immediately forthcoming, given that it took them four-and-a-half years to write and film the third season. In June 2018, Lynch said the story was "calling", but that "there are a lot of disturbances"; in August, he said he was working through ideas with producer Sabrina Sutherland. In April 2020, he said "nothing was happening" regarding further ''Twin Peaks.'' Lynch died on January 15, 2025, making the production of any further episodes or any sort of revival of the series unlikely.

Notes

References

External links

* {{Cahiers du Cinéma Award for Best Film Twin Peaks, Season 3 2017 American television seasons American sequel television series Television series about talking trees